The simple answer is it is just too costly in some environments to do so, and I'm not talking about SSL Certs, which are arguably pretty cheap.
With using HTTPS for everything, you need that much more processing power to encrypt and decrypt all traffic. That needed processing power has to come from somewhere, and that is going to be more hardware, which in turn says a lot more money is needed for security.
Sure, you can minimize the cost a bit by using SSL gateways, but those can get quite expensive as well, especially in larger web environments like Facebook, Twitter, etc.
Don't get me wrong here -- I would love to see every site using HTTPS (and some of the major ones do offer the option like Facebook), but the cost of implementing a solution like this can be prohibitively expensive.
Most of my users are developers. We use VMWare for a majority of our systems, including development environments. Most of my users have one or two laptops, however, they develop inside VMs with all their development tools installed. The question of thin or thick clients isn't really an issue for us, because it doesn't matter. As long as our developers can access their VMs via RDP or SSH, then they're good. Our support personnel are the same way. They can generate a client's entire environment through some of VMWare's solutions, and control it all from their laptop, desktop, or hell their phone if they really wanted to.
I guess my point is, is that for a development environment, what you use to access your virtualized development environment, the medium to access it (laptop, desktop, ipad, etc.) doesn't matter, just as long as you can access the VM and do your work on it.
... I could've sworn people STILL say that about Linux.
Look, I'm not a die hard Windows fanboy by any means, but I just can't help but balk at the notion that Linux is perfect. What drivers do exist, are usually developed by third parties and are shoddy at best. Then there are companies who flat out refuse to write drivers for Linux, and this is just one example.
My point is, is that while there is an "ecosystem" of patching and driver incompatibilities with XP, Vista, or Win 7, it is no different in that regard to Linux, and anyone who disagrees with that and states, "Linux just works" is one naive little child.
You don't have to have a degree for IT. As is viewed by others here, IT is more of a trade than a science or something that a university can teach you.
The catch 22 with a lot of employers these days is that they "require" a degree, but also "require" experience. You can't get experience from going to university, and you can't get a degree on just experience.
In my case, I went to university for a couple of years, then got hired by a large corporation for an entry level job. I was there for two weeks, before it was found out that I can do a lot more, and before I knew it I wrote software for a year or so.
After that, I became a full time sys admin for another year and actually just got promoted a bit so that I run the entire IT infrastructure in one of our development labs, and will be having about four people working for me soon.
Also, before I got hired, I had no certifications at all. Right now, I just have one(I plan on getting a few more in January) and it is useless when it comes to sysadmin positions.
Another adage that is familiar to anyone in IT is, "It's not what you know, but who you know." Nowhere else in any profession is that more prevalent in IT. I've seen complete idiots be promoted to management just because they knew someone. So one thing that may help you here is poking around friends, family, etc. and see if their employers are looking to hire any additional IT staff and go from there.
Anyway, the bottom line is no, you do not need a degree for IT. If you do not have any certifications(like I did when I got in), then I suggest you get your hands on a few servers (build them from the ground up if you can) and play around.
Hey that reminds me, if anyone is in the MN/Twin Cities area and needs a sys admin job in January/February... =D
I had a problem with Qwest's tech support a few months ago... The conversation went something like this:
Me: I'm having a problem with my DSL connection. The connection light on the DSL modem is blinking rapidly.
Qwest: Ok, I want you to unpl-
Me: I have unplugged it several times, waited seconds, minutes, hours... it does nothing.
Qwest: Ok, go to the computer your modem is connected to.
Me: My modem isn't connected to a computer.
Qwest: Well what is it connected to? You MUST have a computer connected to it!
Me: I have it plugged into a Linksys BEFW11S4 wireless router.
Qwest: You can't plug the modem into a router! It'll fail!
You just can't make this up... After dealing with this guy's idiocy for about an hour or so, he shot me right to Tier III support. The guy I talked to said, "Ok, we'll just replace a card at the DSLAM for you. We'll call back within an hour." He called back in twenty minutes, and wanted me to check my DSL modem. It was working again, and this time I was connected at 2.2mbps!(Initially, it was at 1.5mbps)
The forgot to mention to have a three dimensional monitor(holodeck optional) and a neural interface so you can play a game of solitaire with your mind, and in 3d, before Longhorn crashes on you. =D
It really depends on your location, as well. While 30k/year will barely get you by in California, it will go far in states such as Minnesota.
It all depends on where you will be working, overall. Every region has their own cost of living expenses; each being more expensive or cheaper than the other. Determine the cost of living for the particular area your would be job resides in, and base your required pay off of your research.
Linksys have some really great gigabit options. Depending on the size of your network, Linksys has 5, 8, 12, 16, 24, and 32 port switches available. If you're going to network your entire house, I suggest wiring everything to a patch panel somewhere in your home, then link that to a switch, probably a 24 or 32 port switch depending on how many RJ45 jacks you'd be using.
That brings up another question. Would you be using cat5 cabling? If you're just starting this, an idea to consider is to use cat6 cabling. While not exactly old, it's the newest thing in terms of wiring and will put you up that much more if the time comes when you have to upgrade all of your cabling.
As for operating systems, all OSes that I can think of support gigabit transfers, although it is really not up to the OS for flow control; that's up to the type of lan card you buy. Again, linksys makes some great lan cards in the gigabit variety, so give them a try. It is really up to the lan card to decide how fast transfers go, so the OS usually has little to nothing to do with transfer speeds.
Another reason to go with linksys products are their price. Linksys gives you the best bang for your buck, IMO. They're usually cheaper than everyone else, too. 3Com makes some good gigabit solutions as well, but they're usually priced higher than your normal linksys product of the same type.
One thing you definately should check for, no matter what product you go with, is if it has auto-negotiation(sometimes called auto sensing, blah blah blah). That means that the switch/router/whatever will sense what speed the connecting device will support, and adjusts accordingly. On some, like most linksys switches, it'll transfer that unused bandwidth to other ports(switching the packets, that is... not actual transfer speeds). So definately look for that.
What else what else... Oh yeah, if you're going to use a switch to connect your devices in your home, and you have an existing internet connection, make sure you hook the switch up to a router that has your internet connection... but yeah, that's obvious methinks.
Any comments?
I remember seeing this demo at least six months ago, probably longer than that. There hasn't really been anything new happening with this, that I've heard.
You may also want to give more examples on how Mr. Evans was wrong, rather than stating why people use linux. If you discredit the guy, then they can issue a retraction. Just a thought...
Being a Level Designer in the industry, there are a few key tools that many companies look for. Compentency in a 3D Model Editor, such as 3D Studio Max or Maya, is almost a must these days. If you are trying to do some level design in some key games to build up your portfolio, I highly suggest Unreal Tournament 2003, any Quake based game, and/or NWN. The Level Design tools for UT2k3 are very similar to Maya, so if you would like to learn Maya and build your portfolio, UT2k3 is definately a wise choice. Besides, a lot of companies are using the Unreal engine anyway, so it'd make you that much more valuable in the industry.
Another program that I found extremely usefull was a simple CAAD editor. While it may not seem obvious at first, it can really help you plan out what you're going to make, layout wise, and help you develop a level with good gameplay. One tool that mixes in CAAD with practical level design is Valve Software's Valve Hammer Editor. It is an editor for Half-Life, and I must say that it has kept me going for the past five years. I landed a few level design positions based purely on my work from VHE alone, so it's definately something to check into. Also, with Valve's upcoming Half-Life 2 game, it'll give you a notch up on those who want to just start HL2 design, as VHE is the Level Design tool of choice for HL2.
Another good skill to have is some basic programming. Most scripting languages are done in forms of C or C++. Unreal Editor, for example, has its own scripting language called "Uscript," but the similiarities between UScript and C++ are endless. When it comes to development, scripting is a very VERY good skill to have, especially if the company you're working for is making a single player title.
Lemmie see... Oh yeah, be good at drawing. Sometimes if the developer doesn't have concept artists, you'll have to do your own to design levels. Developers like to see the entire process of how you construct your levels, and drawing conception art for your level helps demonstrate that you have a development system going and think things through rather than just do it all on the fly. This will also make the actual level design easier, because you somewhat already know what you want that particular area to look like.
One last thing you may want to do when developing levels is to jot down notes of what you want in it, what sort of theme, textures to be used, lighting themes, key areas, etc. Jotting down such things will help you maintain a consistant design throughout the entire level. On that note, drawing a top down layout of the level is almost a must, because it'll help you design your level and show you where you are, what you are doing, and what you have left to do.
All in all, level design is great. I wouldn't give it up for my left nut, but it takes some time and practice to get good at it. I started close to eight years ago with Doom and the Quake games, and only landed jobs about a year and a half ago, so keep at it and always ask your friends for feedback on your work. Honest feedback helps you critique your own work. Me, for example... all my work sucks.
If you'd like to talk more about this, or see some samples of my work, visit thezazi.net and/or email me at zazi@thezazi.net.
My favorite quote from that has to be this one: Q: You've received bomb threats, death threats and plenty of hate mail because of what you're doing. Have you ever wanted to say to your detractors, "Hey folks, this is just software here?"
A: They say if you want to get into an argument at the dinner table, start a conversation about religion or politics. I would argue that Linux is a cross between religion and politics.
Since when does talking about religion or politics start an argument? All I have to do is say, "Hey dickhead, fuck you!" and I get plenty of arguments! =D
I honestly do not know why this article was even posted in the first place. It should be no surprise to anyone that one thing in one country will cost something else in another country.
A visa versa example of this "Canada cell phones more expensive than the US" deal is the US's struggle with the drug companies. People drive to Canada, because the prices are lower in Canada.
If anyone IS surprised by varying prices among different countries, they really have to look around and think about what kind of world this is.
I'll start to see spam decrease in some of my other inboxes. No matter how much anti spam software you have, it still creeps in. Hopefully, with the outcome of this court battle, spam will start to die. DIE SPAM, DIE!
Slashdot Mirror
So twenty percent (and not even that) indicates the FBI's competence at cyber crime? Right. TFA should come up with a more realistic conclusion.
The simple answer is it is just too costly in some environments to do so, and I'm not talking about SSL Certs, which are arguably pretty cheap.
With using HTTPS for everything, you need that much more processing power to encrypt and decrypt all traffic. That needed processing power has to come from somewhere, and that is going to be more hardware, which in turn says a lot more money is needed for security.
Sure, you can minimize the cost a bit by using SSL gateways, but those can get quite expensive as well, especially in larger web environments like Facebook, Twitter, etc.
Don't get me wrong here -- I would love to see every site using HTTPS (and some of the major ones do offer the option like Facebook), but the cost of implementing a solution like this can be prohibitively expensive.
Most of my users are developers. We use VMWare for a majority of our systems, including development environments. Most of my users have one or two laptops, however, they develop inside VMs with all their development tools installed. The question of thin or thick clients isn't really an issue for us, because it doesn't matter. As long as our developers can access their VMs via RDP or SSH, then they're good. Our support personnel are the same way. They can generate a client's entire environment through some of VMWare's solutions, and control it all from their laptop, desktop, or hell their phone if they really wanted to.
I guess my point is, is that for a development environment, what you use to access your virtualized development environment, the medium to access it (laptop, desktop, ipad, etc.) doesn't matter, just as long as you can access the VM and do your work on it.
... I could've sworn people STILL say that about Linux.
Look, I'm not a die hard Windows fanboy by any means, but I just can't help but balk at the notion that Linux is perfect. What drivers do exist, are usually developed by third parties and are shoddy at best. Then there are companies who flat out refuse to write drivers for Linux, and this is just one example.
My point is, is that while there is an "ecosystem" of patching and driver incompatibilities with XP, Vista, or Win 7, it is no different in that regard to Linux, and anyone who disagrees with that and states, "Linux just works" is one naive little child.
You don't have to have a degree for IT. As is viewed by others here, IT is more of a trade than a science or something that a university can teach you. The catch 22 with a lot of employers these days is that they "require" a degree, but also "require" experience. You can't get experience from going to university, and you can't get a degree on just experience. In my case, I went to university for a couple of years, then got hired by a large corporation for an entry level job. I was there for two weeks, before it was found out that I can do a lot more, and before I knew it I wrote software for a year or so. After that, I became a full time sys admin for another year and actually just got promoted a bit so that I run the entire IT infrastructure in one of our development labs, and will be having about four people working for me soon. Also, before I got hired, I had no certifications at all. Right now, I just have one(I plan on getting a few more in January) and it is useless when it comes to sysadmin positions. Another adage that is familiar to anyone in IT is, "It's not what you know, but who you know." Nowhere else in any profession is that more prevalent in IT. I've seen complete idiots be promoted to management just because they knew someone. So one thing that may help you here is poking around friends, family, etc. and see if their employers are looking to hire any additional IT staff and go from there. Anyway, the bottom line is no, you do not need a degree for IT. If you do not have any certifications(like I did when I got in), then I suggest you get your hands on a few servers (build them from the ground up if you can) and play around. Hey that reminds me, if anyone is in the MN/Twin Cities area and needs a sys admin job in January/February... =D
I think I found the reason for their drug abuse and depression. I would be depressed as hell and doing cocaine if I had to play that game, too!
I had a problem with Qwest's tech support a few months ago... The conversation went something like this:
Me: I'm having a problem with my DSL connection. The connection light on the DSL modem is blinking rapidly.
Qwest: Ok, I want you to unpl-
Me: I have unplugged it several times, waited seconds, minutes, hours... it does nothing.
Qwest: Ok, go to the computer your modem is connected to.
Me: My modem isn't connected to a computer.
Qwest: Well what is it connected to? You MUST have a computer connected to it!
Me: I have it plugged into a Linksys BEFW11S4 wireless router.
Qwest: You can't plug the modem into a router! It'll fail! You just can't make this up... After dealing with this guy's idiocy for about an hour or so, he shot me right to Tier III support. The guy I talked to said, "Ok, we'll just replace a card at the DSLAM for you. We'll call back within an hour." He called back in twenty minutes, and wanted me to check my DSL modem. It was working again, and this time I was connected at 2.2mbps!(Initially, it was at 1.5mbps)
The forgot to mention to have a three dimensional monitor(holodeck optional) and a neural interface so you can play a game of solitaire with your mind, and in 3d, before Longhorn crashes on you. =D
...he doesn't know about the Stargate or the SGC. =D
It really depends on your location, as well. While 30k/year will barely get you by in California, it will go far in states such as Minnesota.
It all depends on where you will be working, overall. Every region has their own cost of living expenses; each being more expensive or cheaper than the other. Determine the cost of living for the particular area your would be job resides in, and base your required pay off of your research.
You don't need a 3d viewer to see that that site has been slashdotted!
Oh shit... I forgot the damn html. Kill me now.
Linksys have some really great gigabit options. Depending on the size of your network, Linksys has 5, 8, 12, 16, 24, and 32 port switches available. If you're going to network your entire house, I suggest wiring everything to a patch panel somewhere in your home, then link that to a switch, probably a 24 or 32 port switch depending on how many RJ45 jacks you'd be using. That brings up another question. Would you be using cat5 cabling? If you're just starting this, an idea to consider is to use cat6 cabling. While not exactly old, it's the newest thing in terms of wiring and will put you up that much more if the time comes when you have to upgrade all of your cabling. As for operating systems, all OSes that I can think of support gigabit transfers, although it is really not up to the OS for flow control; that's up to the type of lan card you buy. Again, linksys makes some great lan cards in the gigabit variety, so give them a try. It is really up to the lan card to decide how fast transfers go, so the OS usually has little to nothing to do with transfer speeds. Another reason to go with linksys products are their price. Linksys gives you the best bang for your buck, IMO. They're usually cheaper than everyone else, too. 3Com makes some good gigabit solutions as well, but they're usually priced higher than your normal linksys product of the same type. One thing you definately should check for, no matter what product you go with, is if it has auto-negotiation(sometimes called auto sensing, blah blah blah). That means that the switch/router/whatever will sense what speed the connecting device will support, and adjusts accordingly. On some, like most linksys switches, it'll transfer that unused bandwidth to other ports(switching the packets, that is... not actual transfer speeds). So definately look for that. What else what else... Oh yeah, if you're going to use a switch to connect your devices in your home, and you have an existing internet connection, make sure you hook the switch up to a router that has your internet connection... but yeah, that's obvious methinks. Any comments?
Mongol-Tartars? Here I thought we were just geeks/nerds... haf.
I remember seeing this demo at least six months ago, probably longer than that. There hasn't really been anything new happening with this, that I've heard.
Sounds like Big Brother to me. 1984, anyone?
You may also want to give more examples on how Mr. Evans was wrong, rather than stating why people use linux. If you discredit the guy, then they can issue a retraction. Just a thought...
Anyone wanna guess where the money trail on THIS one is?
Being a Level Designer in the industry, there are a few key tools that many companies look for. Compentency in a 3D Model Editor, such as 3D Studio Max or Maya, is almost a must these days. If you are trying to do some level design in some key games to build up your portfolio, I highly suggest Unreal Tournament 2003, any Quake based game, and/or NWN. The Level Design tools for UT2k3 are very similar to Maya, so if you would like to learn Maya and build your portfolio, UT2k3 is definately a wise choice. Besides, a lot of companies are using the Unreal engine anyway, so it'd make you that much more valuable in the industry.
Another program that I found extremely usefull was a simple CAAD editor. While it may not seem obvious at first, it can really help you plan out what you're going to make, layout wise, and help you develop a level with good gameplay. One tool that mixes in CAAD with practical level design is Valve Software's Valve Hammer Editor. It is an editor for Half-Life, and I must say that it has kept me going for the past five years. I landed a few level design positions based purely on my work from VHE alone, so it's definately something to check into. Also, with Valve's upcoming Half-Life 2 game, it'll give you a notch up on those who want to just start HL2 design, as VHE is the Level Design tool of choice for HL2.
Another good skill to have is some basic programming. Most scripting languages are done in forms of C or C++. Unreal Editor, for example, has its own scripting language called "Uscript," but the similiarities between UScript and C++ are endless. When it comes to development, scripting is a very VERY good skill to have, especially if the company you're working for is making a single player title.
Lemmie see... Oh yeah, be good at drawing. Sometimes if the developer doesn't have concept artists, you'll have to do your own to design levels. Developers like to see the entire process of how you construct your levels, and drawing conception art for your level helps demonstrate that you have a development system going and think things through rather than just do it all on the fly. This will also make the actual level design easier, because you somewhat already know what you want that particular area to look like.
One last thing you may want to do when developing levels is to jot down notes of what you want in it, what sort of theme, textures to be used, lighting themes, key areas, etc. Jotting down such things will help you maintain a consistant design throughout the entire level. On that note, drawing a top down layout of the level is almost a must, because it'll help you design your level and show you where you are, what you are doing, and what you have left to do.
All in all, level design is great. I wouldn't give it up for my left nut, but it takes some time and practice to get good at it. I started close to eight years ago with Doom and the Quake games, and only landed jobs about a year and a half ago, so keep at it and always ask your friends for feedback on your work. Honest feedback helps you critique your own work. Me, for example... all my work sucks.
If you'd like to talk more about this, or see some samples of my work, visit thezazi.net and/or email me at zazi@thezazi.net.
Does this mean I can put a bounty on my brother for shutting off my computer? I'm thinking a hefty $5 million bounty would suffice.
My favorite quote from that has to be this one:
Q: You've received bomb threats, death threats and plenty of hate mail because of what you're doing. Have you ever wanted to say to your detractors, "Hey folks, this is just software here?"
A: They say if you want to get into an argument at the dinner table, start a conversation about religion or politics. I would argue that Linux is a cross between religion and politics.
Since when does talking about religion or politics start an argument? All I have to do is say, "Hey dickhead, fuck you!" and I get plenty of arguments! =D
I honestly do not know why this article was even posted in the first place. It should be no surprise to anyone that one thing in one country will cost something else in another country. A visa versa example of this "Canada cell phones more expensive than the US" deal is the US's struggle with the drug companies. People drive to Canada, because the prices are lower in Canada. If anyone IS surprised by varying prices among different countries, they really have to look around and think about what kind of world this is.
...how much SCO is paying the CAIDA?
How does Fedora impact Red Hat's business model and the development of Enterprise-level Red Hat Linux?
I'll start to see spam decrease in some of my other inboxes. No matter how much anti spam software you have, it still creeps in. Hopefully, with the outcome of this court battle, spam will start to die. DIE SPAM, DIE!